This invention relates to a tire and bead breaking device which is particularly, although not exclusively, designed for use with double wheels of a tractor.
Tire bead breaking devices are well known and have been manufactured in many constructions for many years. The device is used when it is required to remove a tire from the wheel rim, for example, after a puncture or for replacement.
Initially, the tire is deflated to remove all air or the fluid from within the tire. At this stage it is necessary to force the bead of the tire inwardly relative to the rim so as to break the seal between the rim and bead and to allow the bead to collapse on the wheel.
One arrangement of this type which is useful for smaller tires comprises a clamping tool which engages the tire on either side at the junction between the bead and the rim and then is actuated to squeeze the tire inwardly to break the bead away from the rim. Examples of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,579,868 (Schmid) and 2,577,910 (Oliva).
In another arrangement of this general type, the device includes a hooked member for attachment to the rim of the wheel and an adjacent ram member which is forced against the bead at the point of attachment to force the bead away from the rim.
Both of these arrangements have been available for many years but both are unsatisfactory in relation to large tractor wheels particularly of the type which include a double wheel arrangement which are necessary for the higher powered tractors currently available.